Cleaning machine



June 18, 1940- w.`R. FITZGERALD Er AL 2,205,249

CLEANING MACHINE Filed Aug. 17, 193B 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .lime 1s, 1940.

W. R. FITZGERALD El' AL CLEANING MACHINE Filed Aug. 17, 1938 3Shee'ts-Sheet 2 www/w52 @M X .www Zia y June 18, 1940. w. R. rrzGERALDET A1. A 2,205,249

CLEANING MACHINE Filed Aug. 1'7, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Junev18, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLEANING MACHINE ApplicationAugust 17. 1938, Serial No. 225,402

4 Claims. (Ol. 15-)50) This invention relates to improvements incleaning machines and more particularly to the type employing a powerdriven rotary brush.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a power drivencleaning machine which is adapted for cleaning floors, rough surfacesand the like.

Another object is the provision of a power driven cleaning machine whichis adapted to be used both for sweeping and washing of oor surfaces.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a cleaningmachine which s simple in construction, highly eicient in operation, andwhich can be constructed and operated at low cost.

With the foregoing and other objects in"'view, the invention consists ofthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as here- 20inafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote correspondingparts through the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a cleaning machine constructed inaccordance with the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of same.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 30 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1. v

partly in cross section showing the positioning of tank containing thewashing uid compound.

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view showing the fluid dischargemechanism.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fractional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings the preferred embodiment of our inventioncomprises a frame I0 on which is supported a housing II. The frame I0 isformed of two downwardly inclined side arms I2 and I3 and a transversebar |4 adapted to serve as a handle bar. A bracing bar |60. is securedto the side arms I2 and I3 and to the rear portion of the housing II.Said housing is formed of an arcuate shield IB and side members I1 andI8 welded thereto. The side members I1 and I8 have forwardly extendingportions I1a and I8a to which are secured the side arms I2 and I3respectively. A transverse bar I5 secured to the forward portions |1aand Ila serves as a Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view bracefor same. Mounted on said portions |1a and Ila and projecting outwardlythereof are short shafts I9 and20 'which serve as axles for the rubbertired carrying wheels Isa and a, respectively.

Mounted rearwardly of the housing II on the arcuate shield I6 is avertical bearing member 2|. Rotatably and slidably mounted in saidbearing member is a vertical shaft 22 having at one end a yoke member 23in which is .iournaled a rear trailer wheel 24. The upper portion of theshaft 22 is provided with a concave recess 22a which is adapted to bear.against a ball bearing 25. Threaded into the upper portion of thebearing member 2| is 'an adjusting rod 26 which is provided with wheel21. The lower end of said adjusting rod is adapted to bear against aslidably mounted member 28 which is provided with a concave surface 28ato receive the ball bearing 25. It will thus be seen that by means ofthe wheel 21 the height of the brush 3| with respect to the floor can beeasily adjusted.

Journaled in the bearings 29 and 29a which are mounted on the sides I1and I8 respectively, of the housing I I, is a brush shaft 30 on whichthe brush 3| is mounted for rotation therewith. 'I'he shaft 30 projectsthrough the bearing 29 to accommodate a grooved pulley 32 which is xedlymounted on said shaft and is adapted to rotate therewith.

'The brush 3| comprises a cylinder 33 having end walls 34 provided withapertures 34a for mounting on the shaft 30. End members 35 provided Wlthset screws 36 serve to position and secure the cylinder 33 on the shaft30. Spacedly mounted on said cylinder and secured by bolts 33a are aplurality of brush sections 31 having tempered steel bristles 3B securedin a suitable base 33. A brush of this construction not only provides asweeping action but also a fan action A which serves to carry thesweepings well into the interior of the dirt collecting bin 40. It isapparent that any one brush section 31 may be removed and replacedwithout interfering with any of the other of said brush sections on thecylinder 33. Economy in maintenance of the machine is thus effected.

The dirt collecting bin extends the full width of the machine and isshaped in cross section substantially as that shown in Fig. 3. 'Ihebottom edge "a of the pin 40 is provided with a flexible lip 4| whichengages the floor and prevents scattering of the sweepings. removablymounted on the machine and is supported on the transverse bar I5 andprojecting Said bin is y flange l6b of the arcuate shield I6. A coilspring 42 secured to an angle iron 43 of the engine,-

mounting presentlyto be described is adapted to engage a lug44positioned on the bin 40 to retain same in position. Handles 45mounted on the bin 46 facilitates the handling of same.

To perform awa'shing operation, the bin 46 isremoved and al baffle plate4B provided with ,handles 41 is positioned forwardly of the arcuateshield i6, as shown. in. Fig. 6. A tank 48 containling washing fluid isremovably mountedon the machine and is supported on legs 49 which areadapted to rest on the transverse bar I5. Said tank is provided with anopening 50 for admitfor'locking saidlt'ank on the machine. A spring 59secured to the member 56 and to the 'angle iron 51 is adapted tomaintain the slotted portion' 56a in engagement with the angle iron 43of the engine mounting.

Motive power to the brush 3l is supplied by a gasoline engine 58 whichis positioned on a frame mounted on the housing Il. Said frame has twovertically mounted brackets 60 and 6l which are secured by bolts 6| a tothe arcuate shield I6 of the housing Il. Pivotally mounted on thebracket 6| are a pair of spaced angle ironsA 43 and 43a upon which issecured a plate member 62 which serves as a base for the engine 58; Acam member 63 provided with a lever 64 is rotatably mounted in thebracket 60 and is adapted to bear against the under side of the platemember 62 to serve as a means for taking up the slack of the drivingbelt 65.- 'Ihe driving pulley 66 is mounted on a shaft 61 journaled in abearing 468 and coupled to the engine shaft 69 by means of a coupling10.

The operation of the machine is apparent from a consideration of thefollowing. By turning the adjusting wheel 21 the height of the'brushwith respect to the floorv is easily adjusted. If the floor isparticularly dirty the rear end of the machine is lowered by theadjusting wheel 21 to increase the pressure of the brush 3l on thefloor. The lever 64 is moved to the left so that the high point-of thecam 63 is moved out of engagement with plate 62. This action causes thepulley 65 to move ,downwardly and thus slacken up the driving belt 65.vWith the belt in slipping position the engine 58 Ais started in theconventional manner. To impart rotary motion to the brush 3| the lever64 is shifted to the right so that the cam 65- is causedto raise theengine mounting. The slack of the driving belt 65 is thereby takenj upand the brush 3| is caused to rotate with same. It will be rememberedthat during a sweeping operation the dirt collecting bin 40 is alwayspositioned on the machine. ing operation the bin 40 is removed and thebaille plate 46 and tank 48 is secured on the machine.

The cleaning fluid by reason of the positioning of the elongateddischarge nozzle 53 is caused to ow evenly in front of the machine toprovide for As hereinbefore described, for a wash-J higher emciency inoperation. The rate of ilow is manually regulated by the rod 54.

It is' apparent that when the-machine is in operation as a washingmachine tne liquid is The positioning of invention herewith shown' anddescribed,` is to' be takenl as 'a preferred example of the same, and-that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of our invention, or thescope of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. In a machine of the class described comprising a housing, a rotarybrush in said housing, means for rotating said brush, said housinghaving an upper wall and forwardly extending side portions, a cross-barmounted at the forward lower end of said side portions, the upper wallof said housing terminating rearwardly of said cross-member, andsupporting means connected to said housing above and rearwardly of saidcross-member, said means cooperating with said cross-member to form asupport for interchangeably receiving a dust-collecting bln or a fluidtank,

,2. In a machine of the class described comprising a housing, a rotarybrush in said housing, means for rotating said brush, said housinghaving an upper wall andforwardly extending side portions, across-membermounted at the forward lower end of v'said side portions, the upper wallof said housing terminating, rearwardly and above said cross-member, andsupporting means con- 4nected to said' housing above and rearwardly of4said cross-member, said meanscooperating with means for rotating saidbrush, said housing hav-- ing an upper wall and forwardly extending sideportions, a cross-member mounted at the forward lower end of said sideportions, the upper wall of said housing terminating rearwardly of saidcross-member, supporting means connected to said housing above andrearwardly of said crossmember, and a fluid tank removably supported onrsaid supporting means and on the cross-member.

4. In a machine of the class described comprising a housing, a rotarybrush in 'said housing, means for rotating said brush; said housingha'ving an upper Wall and forwardly extending side portions, across-member mounted at the formember, and a baille plate removablysupported on said cross-member and on'a portion of said housing.

W. RALPH FITZGERALD.

ANDREW DOCKEN.

